Improved plasticity of iron-based high-strength bulk metallic glasses by copper-induced nanocrystallization

A significant enhancement in plasticity was achieved by the micro-addition of Cu in Fe-based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) which have high strength at room-temperature. It was found that the nanocrystallization caused by the formation of the α-Fe phase is responsible for the improvement in plasticity of the Fe-based BMGs. Our results suggest that the micro-addition of Cu is a promising approach to enhancing the plasticity of Fe-based BMGs through compositional and structural design by microalloying.